Waste material consuming structure



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. W. SHARPE WASTE MATERIAL CONSUMING STRUCTURE FiledNov. 15, 1946 JNVNTOR.

A. 7,y 195i H. w. SHARP: 2,563,137

WASTE MATERIAL CONSUMING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2J INVENToR.

Aug. 7, 1951 Filed Nov. 15

H. W. SHARPE WASTE MATERIAL CONSUMING STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledNov. 15, 1946 H. ws sHARPE 2,563,137

(WASTE MATERIAL CONSUMING STRUCTURE 4 sheets-sheet 4 n lll',

IN V EN TOR.

B; y@ [5y/262779@ Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WASTEMATERIAL CONSUMING STRUCTURE Hugh W. Sharpe, Chicago,'1ll.

Application November 15, 1946, Serial No. 709,971

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Waste material consumingstructures which are also commonly referred to as garbageincinerators,rand has for its general object to ,provide amaterialprojected from. the drying shelf becomes` lodged next upon the saidsteps before being prostructure.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the saidsteps 4are caused to be relatively positioned, by operation of a handlever, disposed exteriorly of the structure, to form a continuousinclined surface down which lthe material slides by gravity upon thegrate, The means whereby the said steps are positioned to fo-rm'the saidslide, are manipulable also by the said hand leverto be shaken to thedegree necessary to agitate the waste material and thus promoteclearance of said stepsy and deposit of same upon the grate.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby vaporarising from the usually moist or wet material deposited upon the dryingshelf is caused to be admixed with products of combustion passing fromthe grate into the chimney ue of the structure.

Other objects of the invention are pointed out particularly in thefollowing description or will.

be readily comprehended therefrom.

A suitable embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:-

l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a waste material burnerconstructed in accordance Ywith the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sectional views of t e same takenon the single section line 2 2 and 3-3 of Fig. l looking in oppositedirections from the vertical plane indicated thereby. v

Figs. 4 and 5 are .plan sectional views taken on the lines Ll-i 'and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The structure comprises a rectangular housing composed, preferably, ofan outer metal casing which includes a floor plate I supported in partvupon a channel bar 2,along the rear edge, a series of T-bars 3 betweenits front and rear edges, and suitably along its front edge, there beinga 1 free space between the oor plate and the surface upon which thestructure is supported by the aforesaid elements 2 and 3, which is` openat its end along the side-walls of the structure.

The floor plate supports a series of refractory tiles 4, and thevertical walls are lined in part and to the greatest extent possible,with a suitable plastic lining 5 and, inwardly of the latter, withrefractory tiles 6.

The grate 7 of the structure is disposed at an elevation above the tileocr 4, andis spaced from the front sheet metalqwall and also to a fargreater extent from the rear tile wall.

The grate is continuous between the side tile` walls and is supported atits inner end upon the lower ends of side plates 8 which are securedrigidly,. infany suitable manner, to the side walls of the structure andare held in Contact with the tile 6 lining the latter, l

Pivotallysecured to the plates 8 is a series of flat plates 9p Thelatter are disposed at respectively different elevations to simulate astairway leading from a point near the inner end portion of the grate 1to a point near the rear wall of the housing, the pivotal axes of saidplates 9 being disposed in a plane extending at an angle ofapproximately forty-five degrees to the horizontal plane of the grate 1.f

Ar rigid plate I0, equipped with an angularr flange II, is disposedbetween Vthe inner end of the grate 'I and the lowest plate 9. Anotherangularly` disposed plate I2 is disposed above the uppermost plate 9,both plates Il! and I2 being secured at theirl endsto the plates PlatesS, Il! and I2 constitute a support for waste material delivered fromabove, as will hereinafter be described.

Each plate 19 is equipped with a depending arm I3 which is securedpivotally at its lower end to aflat bar I4. The latter is securedpivotally to one end of a link I5 which, at its other end, is

secured pivotally to the lowerarm of a bellcrank 3 will be tipped to thedotted line position of Fig. 1, with the then lower edge portions ofrespective plates 9 overlapping the next lower plates and the flange Ilof the plate 3, said lower edges of the plates 9 being comb-like andthus providing air ducts to promote drying of material deposited uponthe plates 9 when the latter are disposed horizontally, and for passageof some air through the uncovered portions of the recesses when saidplates are disposed in their dotted line positions.

The ash pit 20, below the grate, derives air through the customary andusually damper controlled openings (not shown) in the door I8. The doorI8 may be a duplicate of the door 23 which is equipped with an innerperforated plate 23a spaced from the outer and peripheral walls of saiddoor 23, such doors being of conventional type.

The forward end of the grate 1 is secured to the inclined bracket plate22 which is secured rigidly, in a suitable manner, to the front metalwall of the housing, as, for example, to the frame of the door 23. Thelatter is also hinged to said front wall and is, in all respects, asubstantial duplicate of the door I8.

Material, such as waste wood, paper and the like may be introducedthrough the opening controlled by the door 23, usually to start a firein the structure for pre-heating purposes, and for this same purpose andto effect ignition of fuel disposed upon the grate 1, a pair of gasburners 24 (Fig. 5) are provided, as shown, which are connectible,suitably, with the fuel gas supply pipes of the building.

At an elevation above the grate 1, a horizontally disposed shelf 25 isprovided which extends over the entire width of the structure, which,for convenience, will be referred to hereinafter as a furnace.

The vertical plane of the inner edge of the said shelf is oiTset fromthe vertical plane of the inner end of the grate 1 only slightly, saidshelf being supported by a pair of members 26 and 21.

A rectangular frame 2B having peripheral walls of substantially Z-shapedsection supports a refractive member 29 which may consist of a suitablerefractive plastic which is introduced into said frame when the latteris inverted with its cover plate 30 providing a support for the saidplastic material.

Said cover plate 30 is dished slightly and presents peripheral ilangesto rest upon the supports 25 and 21 and end supports secured to the sidewalls or otherwise provided.

It will be noted that the support 21 is provided with vent openings 3|(Fig. 2).

The top wall 32 of the furnace is disposed at an angle of forty-fivedegrees to the front wall and is equipped with a door controlled openingthrough which moist and wet waste material is dropped upon the shelf 25,the door 33 controlling said opening is, in all respects, similar to thedoor I9 and is hinged at top.

The portion of the top wall 32 above the door hinge covers a triangularchamber 34 bordered by the curtain wall 35 and a bottom wall 36, bothwalls 35 and 3B being composed of refractory tiles and suitablysupported.

The wall 35 constitutes also a wall of the chimney ue 31. Below thelower end of the latter, a water heater 38 is mounted which comprises alower water intake duct and an upper duct connected with each other bythe inner end duct 39 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) the pipes.

(iii

40 and 4l being connectible in a customary manner with the cold watersupply system and a hot water storage tank. The front and rear walls ofthe water heater are flush with the faces of the wall 35, the said rearwall being equipped with a series of vanes 42 projecting into thechimney ue.

The water heater 38 is suitably supported upon the side wall of thecasing and constitutes a support for the curtain wall 35, and thus thelatter and said heater 38, in commotion with said side walls and rearwall of the structure, provide the chimney flue.

The said curtain wall, including the said water heater, is disposed, atits lower edge, appreciably from the shelf 25. The latter becomes veryhot and thus vaporizes the water contained in the material disposed uponsaid shelf which would rise to fill the space between the curtain walland the top intake door. However, air entering said space throughopenings in said door becomes admixed with said vapors and is caused tobecome humidified and admixed with products of combustion passing intoand through the chimney flue and thus promotes combustion of combustiblegases and soot within said chimney flue.

In the use of the structure, the dry or substantially dry materialdisposed upon the shelf 25 is easily projected upon the plates 9 bymeans of a shovel, spade or other suitable implement and may remainthere for complete drying or storage and then caused to pass downwardlytoward and upon the inner end portion of the grate 1 by gravity byoperating the lever I6 to dispose the plates 9 in the dotted lineposition of Fig. 1, this descent of the material being aided byeffecting a shaking or slight movement of said plates 9 from and to thesaid dotted line position. Spreading of said material over the gratethereafter may be eiected by a hoe, rake or other implement projectedthrough the door 23.

I claim as my invention:

l. A waste material consuming structure comprising a housing, meansdividing the interior of the housing into an ash pit and an upper space,said means including a horizontal grate in the front half of the housingand a stepped waste material support extending upwardly and rearwardly,at an angle of about 45, from the rear end of said grate to the rearwall of the housing and presenting air passages connecting the ash pitto said upper space, doors in the front wall of the housing above andbelow the grate, a stationary shelf extending across the front half ofthe interior of the housing above the upper of the aforesaid doors, achimney ue in the upper rear portion of the housing above said wastematerial support, said flue including a curtain wall parallel to thefront wall of the housing and having its lower edge spaced a substantialdistance from said shelf, and a door in the housing directly abovev theshelf to admit waste to be consumed.

2. A waste material consuming structure as set forth in claim 1, whereinthe curtain wall of the chimney flue is hollow and is provided withinlet and outlet openings for water to be heated.

3. The combination with the housing of a waste material consumingstructure having an ash pit, of a horizontal grate in and spanning thefront half of the housing above the ash pit; a support for wastematerial inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the rear end of the grateto the rear wall of the housing, said support including a series ofplates hinged to swing about transverse horizontal axes betweenhorizontal, spaced positions to create a stepped formation presentingair passages connecting the ash pit to the space above said plates andpositions wherein they form a downwardly sloping surface; means to rockthe plates; a stationary shelf extending across the front half of theinterior of the housing above and in spaced relation to the grate; doorsin the front of the housing for the admission of material to the shelfand grate, respectively; and a chimney ue in the top of the housingabove said inclined support.

HUGH WM. SHARPE.

6 REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 981,254Fortune Jan. 10, 1911 1,168,367 Wundrack Jan. 18, 1916 1,270,574 WatsonJune 25, 1918 1,769,880 Howle s July 1, 1930 1,787,081 McLellan Dec. 30,1930 2,332,591 Micol Oct. 26, 1943

